Russia To Discharge Indians Working In Russian Army

Russia has reportedly agreed to release all Indians working in the Russian army. This development comes following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. NDTV, citing sources, reported that PM Mod raised the issue at a private dinner hosted by Vladimir Putin last evening. Notably, PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Moscow to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit.

Earlier in June, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that they have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian authorities for the early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army. The Ministry also urged Indian nationals to "exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia.". 

Meanwhile, this is PM Modi's first state visit after getting re-elected for the third time. The two-day visit mainly focuses on boosting bilateral ties in major sectors, including energy, trade, and defence. At the same time, a US State Department spokesperson reportedly said that the US has raised concerns with India about its relationship with Russia. "I will look to Prime Minister Modi's public remarks to see what he talked about but as I said, we have made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia," the spokesperson said, as quoted by Reuters.